81R1354 JGH-D
By: Madden H.R. No. 57
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The chess team of The University of Texas at Dallas
won top honors at the President's Cup chess tournament in
Baltimore, Maryland, on April 6, 2008; and
WHEREAS, This prestigious competition is the chess
equivalent of the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament and brings
together the four top American teams as decided by the Pan American
Intercollegiate Chess Championships, the other major collegiate
chess competition; and
WHEREAS, A perennial powerhouse in the game, UT Dallas has
won the Pan American tournament for the past two years, and its
victory in the President's Cup was likewise its second consecutive
win and fourth win overall in that contest; no other college team
has ever garnered both titles for two years in a row; and
WHEREAS, Under the leadership of team coach Rade Milovanovic
and chess program director Jim Stallings, the victorious UT Dallas
squad was made up of Alejandro Alvarez Ramirez and Magesh
Panchanathan, who are ranked at the grandmaster level, and Marko
Zivanic, Davorin Kuljasevic, John Bartholomew, and Drasko
Boskovic, who are international masters; and
WHEREAS, Every UT Dallas player won at least one match in the
tournament in Baltimore, and Mr. Zivanic, a native of Serbia and a
junior in computer science, earned a perfect score, winning all
three of his matches; together, the team members triumphed over
outstanding competitors from New York University and Miami Dade
College, as well as their archrival, the University of Maryland,
Baltimore County; and
WHEREAS, This latest success for the remarkable UT Dallas
players brings further credit to the university and to the State of
Texas, and these hardworking, disciplined, and talented
competitors may take great pride in their accomplishment; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate The University of Texas at Dallas
chess team on winning the 2008 President's Cup chess championship
and extend to the members of the team sincere best wishes for
continued success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the team as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.